- Males have more ability to use a condom than females,
for cultural reasons
- Culture accepts harmful behaviors and practices
against females
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Photo: M. McCune/FHI
Slide 12
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The degree of risk for HIV/AIDS infection also varies because
of gender. Males generally have more ability to use a condom
than females. Males report knowing how to use a condom correctly,
how to negotiate condom use, and being willing to buy a condom
more often than do females, according to a Cameroon study. Girls
saw using condoms as a sign of love and protection, whereas
boys tended to use them with casual partners, according to peer
group discussions in South Africa.
Gender also affects cultural acceptance of behaviors and practices
that can jeopardize reproductive health. Females are at higher
risk of sexual violence, including rape or domestic violence,
than are boys. A recent Demographic and Health Survey in Egypt,
for example, showed that nearly nine of every 10 women believed
beatings by husbands are justified under some circumstances,
and almost one-third reported being beaten during pregnancy.
Female genital mutilation, practiced in some cultures, can also
jeopardize reproductive health. The World Health Organization
reports that some two million girls undergo the procedure annually.
Girls have less economic autonomy than boys, so they may rely
on "sugar daddies" or sex work for economic needs.
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Learner Note: If female genital
mutilation, or FGM, is common in your region, you may
want to seek information about this procedure and how
it affects childbirth and reproductive health. The impact
on birth varies depending upon the type of FGM practiced.
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